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2017-18 Manchester United F.C. season
The 2009–10 season was Manchester United's 26th season in the Premier League, and their 43rd consecutive season in the top division of English football. Despite disappointment in the Champions League, the club completed the domestic double, winning the Premier League for the 8th season in a row and retaining the FA Cup for the first time. They also won the League Cup, completing a domestic treble. Pre-season friendlies Manchester United announced the first four fixtures of their 2017 pre-season schedule on 11 January 2017, with the team touring Africa for the first time since 2008. The 22-man squad first headed out to Kenya on 13 July 2009, in time for their first fixture two days later against FC Leopards at the Leopards' home stadium, the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring with his first goal for the club, a chip over the head of goalkeeper Cameron Nyane. Kamisese Erenavula doubled United's lead in what would be his first goal for the club as well, when he slotted the ball in the top corner of the net with Nyane beaten. Ngare Maringa pulled a goal back just before half time with a header from Jordan LuaLua's cross, and Maringa equalized on the hour mark with a penalty. However, United's captain Stuart Pantner won the game for the Red Devils in the last minute, when he scored with a screamer from 30 yards out that went straight through Nyane's legs. The team was then scheduled to travel to Kampala, Uganda to face SC Villa at the Mandela National Stadium on 17 July. However, the game had to be cancelled because of the 2017 Kampala bombings on 14 July. Instead, the team played a second game against FC Leopards at Nyayo National Stadium on 17 July, which they won 2-0 with goals from Riki Asteerev and Kuren Flestun. They then flew to Mauritius for a match against Curepipe Starlight SC at the Stade George V on 21 July. After going into the half-time interval 2-1 down, goals from Riki Asteerev and Ritchie Maccler secured a 3-2 win. The final match of the tour was played in Madagascar on 23 July 2009 against AS Adema at the Mahamasina Stadium in Antanarivo, Madagascar. Although it took more than a quarter of the match before the first goal came, they then began to run riot, as Stuart Pantner scored a brace, Ritchie Maccler, Toby Winton and Kamisese Erenavula got one each, and Robbie Stack scored a hat-trick from the bench to secure an 8–2 win. En route from returning from Africa, the United team travelled to Amsterdam to take part in the Amsterdam Tournament on 26 July and 27 July 2009. The tournament, organised yearly and containing clubs from all over the world, featured the hosts Ajax, as well as Porto and Villareal. Four matches were played at the Amsterdam ArenA in Amsterdam over two days, with United first playing against Villareal. With a 3-3 draw featuring two goals from Kamisese Erenavula and a debut goal for Gavin Framston, United secured played their next game against Ajax. Despite Ritchie Maccler and Colin giving United a lead in the second half, Ajax mounted a comeback, with a hat-trick from Kevin Rambleton. United then stopped at Edinburgh to play against Heart of Midlothian on 31 July. Goals from Kuren Flestun and Lev Yosef secured a 2–1 win, with Lucas MacDonald giving the Jambos a consolation goal. After returning to England, United played their final friendly of the summer at Old Trafford against UEFA Europa League champions Stuttgart on 2 August 2017. Jordan Khedira opened the scoring 7 minutes into the second half with a goal against his former club, while Kamisese Erenavula secured the win thanks to his stoppage-time backheel. FA Community Shield For more information, see 2017 FA Community Shield. As 2016–17 Premier League champions, United kicked off the 2017–18 season with the traditional annual curtain-raiser, the 2017 FA Community Shield, on 6 August 2017, when they played against Premier League runners-up Chelsea (since United had won the double the previous season). Fijian international Kamisese Erenavula opened the scoring for United in the 10th minute, but Chelsea equalised through his compatriot Jovese Ariwili seven minutes into the second half. Chelsea then took the lead through a controversial Isaac Menlaux goal in the 70th minute; with Manchester United in possession, Chelsea skipper Jack Redford body-checked Jordan Olaf Riise only for the referee to play advantage. With Riise still on the floor, possession then changed leaving United short-handed in defence, allowing Menlaux to shoot past Danny Kabana in the United goal. With Chelsea leading as the match went into injury time, Robbie Stack played in Kuren Flestun, who lifted the ball over the onrushing Larry Crust to take the match to penalties. Menlaux opened the scoring in the shootout, only for Robbie Stack to have his kick down the middle of the goal saved by the feet of Crust. Redford, Sunnigardi and Gorkss all converted before Riise's tame effort was held by Crust. That left Hillar Kuusk with the opportunity to win the game for Chelsea, which he took with aplomb, smashing the ball into the top corner of the goal. Premier League The 2017–18 Premier League fixtures were released on 14 June 2017, with Manchester United opening their campaign at home against Brighton & Hove Albion. United won the game 2 – 1. Although Rodney Habster, on loan from United, opened the scoring with a free kick, Kuren Flestun levelled things with a penalty and won the game for United in the 90th minute, when he chipped the ball over the head of the advancing Liam McGowan. In their next game of the campaign, United played away to Bolton Wanderers. United won the match 3 – 1. Despite falling behind again, this time from a goal for the Trotters' captain, Alex Brunkin, who scored when he side-footed the ball past Danny Kabana, Kuren Flestun equalized thanks to his corner-kick header six minutes into the second half. Sag Aloo put United ahead with a penalty, while Riki Asteerev won the game for United thanks to his volley from Gavin Framston's cross in the 72nd minute. United travelled to Upton Park to face West Ham United in their next game. United won 2 – 0. Kuren Flestun scored United's first goal, when he controlled Riki Asteerev's flick, chipped the ball over Thomas Milner, and side-footed the ball past Matt Radley. United's second goal came from Noel Jordan in the 72nd minute, when he shot towards goal. Radley reached out to save it, but it bounced off the crossbar. The ball then hit the crossbar again, and again, and again. At the end of the crossbar, the ball fell off and went down to towards Radley, who reached out to palm it away. However, the ball went straight in to give United the win. United played at home against Queens Park Rangers on the 26th of August 2017. United won the game 3 – 0. The game proved to be quite a difficult one. QPR almost took the lead when Valdis Putniņš hit the woodwork, but it was United who broke the deadlock, when Kuren Flestun scored a brilliant backheel from Kamisese Erenavula's corner-kick cross. Stuart Pantner, United's captain, added on a second goal for United when he scored with a screamer from 20 yards out that zoomed straight past Younes Reslou. Ritchie Maccler rounded off the show when he capitalised on poor defending by Jordan Winston, passed to Pantner, and headed into the QPR goal with Reslou beaten. Manchester United made a trip to Craven Cottage to face Fulham in their next game. Despite Fulham going 1 – 0 up through their captain, Jeffrey Huntley, who backheeled in Jordan Hallburger's corner-kick, United won 1 – 2, with Kuren Flestun equalizing thanks to his header from Kamisese Erenavula's cross. United's captain Stuart Pantner won the game in stoppage time thanks to his header from Erenavula's free-kick. United welcomed rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford on 17 September 2017. Like the Queens Park Rangers match, the game ended 3 – 0 to United and was quite a difficult encounter. The 0 – 0 deadlock was broken on 32 minutes by Kuren Flestun, who pinged a volley into the top corner of the net after recieving a pass from Riki Asteerev. United skipper Stuart Pantner doubled United's lead with a low header from Kamisese Erenavula's cross, and Erenavula rounded off the show with a controversial goal in the 84th minute; as Erenavula was entering the penalty box, Doonald Arksov hauled back the Fijian winger by his shirt. Erenavula fell to the ground, meaning that a penalty should be awarded. However, Erenavula, lying on the ground, handled the ball with his arm. Cory Singleburger, Liverpool's goalkeeper, positioned the ball for a free kick, but referee Leo Wingford made a shrugging gesture, meaning that there was no free kick. Erenavula got back up and kicked the ball into the net. Wingford then consulted his linesman to see if the goal should be awarded. First, a group of Manchester United players gathered round Wingford and his assisstant to say that it should be awarded, and then, Wingford allowed the goal. There was then a group of Liverpool players crowding round Wingford, saying that the goal should not have been awarded. Liverpool's manger, Ron Wristwatch, came off the bench and was furious at the goal being allowed. Wristwatch said in a post match interview that "this will make the Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry more fiercer." United's 100 percent record ended as they suffered their first defeat of the season, a 3 – 1 loss at Oldham. Sam Fragney opened the scoring with a bicycle kick 12 minutes in, but Kuren Flestun equalized with a header from Gavin Framston's free kick. However, six minutes into the second half, Oldham took the lead when Jonnie McForrest was tripped up by United's goalkeeper Xavier Reagan. Reagan was sent off for this, just like he had been 12 days earlier in United's UEFA Champions League group game at Internazionale. Framston was sacrificed to make way for United's substitute goalkeeper, Danny Kabana. The subsequent penalty, from Lemeki Duvuduvukulu, was scored. Ricardo dos Santos rounded off the show with a lob over the head of Kabana a minute from time. United returned to winning ways with a 2 – 0 victory over rivals Manchester City. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring with a shot that went over the head of Zglaslow Volek, while Sag Aloo added on United's second goal in the 80th minute, when Justin Rosghingor lobbed the ball over the heads over 3 Citty defenders. Aloo was standing inside the penalty area, and he swung the ball into the net with a side-foot that sailed into the City goal with Volek beaten. United then lost 2 – 1 to Aston Villa at Villa Park. Kuren Flestun gave the away side the lead thanks to a bicycle kick from 7 yards out, bur Roger Dempston, Villa's captain, equalized six minutes into the second half with a free-kick header. Dempston then won the game for Villa in the last minute, converting a penalty after Jordan Yamblou had been fouled. United returned to winning ways with a 5 – 0 thrashing of Newcastle United at home. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring the 10th minute; Sewiatan Sunnigardi played in Kamisese Erenavula away down the left flank, and the Fijian played a low cross back across goal; Flestun got to the ball with his left foot, but it bounced up and hit him in the face before going in. Jope Aranula, Erenavula's fellow Fijian, scored an own goal to double United's lead in the 28th minute, when he was forced to head the ball into his own net. Flestun added on his second goal of the game shortly before half-time when a Jordan Olaf Riise shot was diverted into the path of the Leubantian forward, who stabbed home his second goal of the game. In the 64th minute, United captain Stuart Pantner added on United's fourth and his first of the game, when he met an Erenavula cross at the far post and nodded the ball home. A minute from time, Flestun completed the rout and his hat-trick (his first Manchester United hat-trick), when he scored from a bicycle-kick. United then travelled to the DW Stadium to face Wigan Athletic in their next game. United won 4 – 0. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring with a cheeky backheel 12 minutes in. Shortly before half time, Yuri Flarintanov recieved a straight red card for elbowing Flestun inside the penalty area. Flestun, despite needing treatment with slight bleeding, took the penalty himself, and scored. Kamisese Erenavula bagged a controversial goal in the 64th minute, as the ball seemed to deflect off the Fijian winger's arm before going in. Substitute Jordan Khedira rounded off the show with a bicycle kick. United met Chelsea at home in their next game. Despite having less possesion and plsying not that well, United won 1 – 0, following a Stuart Pantner header from an inswing Sag Aloo free kick, awarded after Jack Redford had controversially bundled over Kamisese Erenavula. After the game, United increased their lead at top of the table, while Arsenal leapfrogged Chelsea into second place with a game to spare. United then hosted Scunthorpe United in their next time, who were in the first tier of English football for the first time ever in 2017–18. The game was a comfortable 4 – 0 win for the Red Devils. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring five minutes in when he side-footed the ball over the head of Perci Langsbury. Kamisese Erenavula doubled United's lead in the 12th minute, when he let a tame ball from himself trickle calmly into the net. Flestun completed his brace in the 22nd minute, when he scored from inside the penalty area with the ball taking a slight deflection off the boot of Langsbury. United captain Stuart Pantner then intercepted a cross attempted by Iron captain Jordan Silverstone to Sylvain Reslou and shot the ball past the advancing Langsbury in the 56th minute to finish the scoring. United then travelled to the Emirates to face Arsenal in their next game. United won 3 – 0. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring with a lob over Des Navter four minutes from half-time after the Leubantian forward had picked up a short ball from Sag Aloo. Just four minutes later, with half-time looming, Aldis Fadjarga slid the ball into his own net to give United a second goal. Flestun round off the show with an acrobatic bicycle kick in the 89th minute. United then travelled to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur in their next game. United lost 2 – 1. The visitors opened the scoring first, when Kuren Flestun's shot took a wicked deflection off Spurs captain Sam Habster. United were leading until the first minute of stoppage time, when Habster headed in a cross from Muhammad ali-Shredka. In the last minute, ali-Shredka gave Spurs their somewhat deserved winner, with the Maldives midfielder tapping in from close range. The game was thus identical to the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, in which United and Bayern Munich took part in. Bayern took the lead 6 minutes in, but stoppage time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sealed a 2 – 1 victory. United had thus been given a taste of their own medicine. United hosted Everton in their next game. The game ended as an entertaining 3 – 3 draw. The away side opened the scoring 12 minutes in, when a shot from Leubantian forward Kurlz Nuggit bounced off the face of United's American goalkeeper, Xavier Reagan. When Reagan turned around, he found the ball in his net. Despite Reagan having a slightly broken cheek, he remained on the pitch. United equalized through Nuggit's fellow Leubantian, Kuren Flestun, whose angled shot bounced off the palms of the despairing Wayne Ferdinand. However, Nuggit restored Everton's lead with a cheeky backheel, and Chandler Brighton doubled the Toffees' lead with a bicycle kick. The game was 3 – 1 to Everton until the 89th minute, when Flestun drove an 18-yard shot into the net. Kamisese Erenavula gave United a last-ditch equalizer, when he ran past 3 Everton defenders before tucking the ball in the net. United hosted struggling Sunderland in their next game. The game ended as a 2–1 win for the Red Devils. Kuren Flestun opened the scoring, when he touched the ball with his boot, it bounced up, hit him in the face, and went in. Kenneth Telsford equalized thanks to a bicycle kick, but a 73rd minute penalty from Kamisese Erenavula gave United their deserved winner. United then travelled to the Cardiff City Stadium to face Cardiff City in the next game. Harry Fast opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time with a penalty, but Kuren Flestun equalized in the 61st minute, also with a penalty. Although both teams had chances to take the lead, neither team found a winning goal and the game ended 1 – 1. United travelled to Elland Road to face Leeds United in their next game, United's last game of the first half of the 2017-18 season. At half time the score was 0–0, after Jordan Andersen had been tested with an overhead kick from Kuren Flestun, and Leeds captain Joe Saledsley saw his free kick saved by Xavier Reagan. In the 61st minute, Gavin Framston recieved the first yellow card of the match, given to the Canadian for dissent. Ten minutes later, Saledsley was booked for pushing Flestun to the ground. Sewitian Sunnigardi was booked in the 79th minute for a high elbow on Ethan MacDuff, while Framston was sent off in the 89th minute for recieving his second yellow card, given for a slide tackle on MacDuff. Despite the numerical advantage, Leeds failed to get a vital winning goal against their fierce rivals, and the game finished 0 – 0. The last game of 2017 was also the first game of the second half of the 2017-18 season. United hosted West Ham in this game. Tobias Leetmaa opened the scoring when he tucked in a Thomas Milner free kick, but Kuren Flestun equalized through a bicycle kick, and West Ham goalie Matt Radley mistimed a Milner back-pass to finish the scoring. United started 2018 with a 7–2 thrashing of Bolton Wanderers. Kürén Fléstün opened the scoring through a bicycle kick, but Trotters captain Alex Brunkin equalized through a cheeky backheel in the 27th minute. However, an awesome forty-yard piledriver from Jordan Olaf Riise restored United's lead, and Fléstün doubled United's lead with a chip over the head of Guido Materazzi. Valdek Kõiva pulled a goal back for Bolton with a back-header just before half-time, but Fléstün completed his hat-trick a minute after half time, when he fired into the top corner with a penalty with Materazzi beaten. A controversial goal from Milo Robinson almost sparked a walk-out from the angry Bolton players, with Robinson having curled in a free-kick while the Bolton players were still assembling their defensive wall. A penalty from Riki Asteerev made it 6–2, before a mistake from Brunkin allowed Robbie Stack to deliver an inviting pass to Asteerev to sweep home in the 89th minute to finish the scoring. Following the 7–2 thrashing of Bolton, Manchester United's next game was a home game against Leeds United. Kürén Fléstün got the first goal from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, awarded after Robbie Stack had ben fouled by Leeds 'keeper Jordan Andersen. Kamisese Erenavula scored the second goal five minutes after half-time, picking up a pass from Fléstün before cutting into the box and firing a left-footed shot past Andersen in the Leeds goal. Erenavula then set up Fléstün to make it 3–0, chipping the ball across the penalty area for the Leubantian forward to score with a volleyed scissor-kick. United's next game was away to Queens Park Rangers. Kürén Fléstün opened the scoring when a Kamisese Erenavula cross was filcked on by Stuart Pantner and onto the back of Fléstün's head past Younes Reslou. The score stayed 1–0 until the 81st minute when Gerald Carpet picked the ball up wide left, cut inside and fired a shot into the corner. However, just three minutes later, an Erenavula cross from the right was diverted into Pantner's path, who scored with a scrappy header that went in off the post past the unlucky-to-catch Reslou. United's next game was away to Brighton & Hove Albion, played on 30 January 2018. Just like the game against Brighton in the first half of the season, which was Manchester United's first game of the 2017-18 Premier League, Brighton opened the scoring, with Rodney Habster, now being permanently at Brighton after being on loan from United from the start of the season to 18 January, firing home after Tiitus Reedma's shot had been parried into the ex-Red's path. However, with three minutes before the interval, Kürén Fléstün equalized, heading in Robbie Stack's corner-kick. In the second half, the game degenerated into few chances with both teams happy to take the draw. United went two points clear of Chelsea but missed a chance to go four points clear after failing to win their game in hand. Following the dissapointing 1–1 draw with Brighton, United's next game was a home game againt Arsenal. United won the game 2–0, thanks to goals from Kürén Fléstün in the first 25 minutes. Fléstün's first goal came in the 8th minute, when he capitalised on a poorly-hit backpass, he got his second in the 23rd minute, heading in Kamisese Erenavula's corner. Substitute Jordan Khedira should have doubled United's advantage late on but his header from a corner fell wide, while Toby Winton was also guilty of lacking the killer instinct when he dragged a shot wide when ideally placed to score. A brawl occured in the final 7 minutes, for which Winton and Khedira were booked for United, and Laurent Arcenau and Ronald Tabéla were shown yellow for Arsenal. In the end, Fléstün's two goals proved enough. Squad First team squad Team noted as of 1 January 2018. Reserve squad Academy squad Ages are given on the season's starting date, 12 Auguat 2017. |} UEFA Champions league squad As of 11 September 2017. Transfers In Out Loan in Loan out Honours Individual Individual awards (awarded to Manchester United players only) Category:Leubantia